22 July 2015

The quilt that took two years to sew

An unfinished quilt has been sitting on my bedroom floor for the best part of two years.

Across those two years it has taken on different forms. At first it was just a pile of fabric, then it progressed to log cabin squares and recently it has been gracing my floor half quilted.

It's been one of those projects I have wanted to finish but just have never quite got around to it.

First, I was making a quilt for my friend, then I had a dissertation to write and finals to revise for and then I discovered the world of dress making. So with one thing and another it was left languishing.

Last week I picked it up and decided that now was its moment.

First the final squares were sewn together. (I chose to make this quilt using a rough log cabin design and a jelly roll of fabric from Moda. I love that the colours easily work together.)

Then, they were quilted.

Then cut to size. (Measuring is never by forte. My quilts will be forever gloriously wonky.)

And finally the whole thing was put together with some pretty backing fabric.

It turned out to be a gloriously colourful, cozy and quirky quilt.

I wanted to use colours and patterns that I loved so I picked that pretty flower fabric for the back despite it not being quite the right size! It took some fiddling to add the striped fabric but I like how it turned out in the end.

My model was particularly helpful when it came to taking photos!

The binding is perhaps my favourite part. It's made of a fat quarter of liberty fabric I picked up in a tiny town north of Durham. With some careful cutting I squeezed out enough to make the binding and just love how jolly it makes the whole thing.

So, another quilt for another bed. I won't grow tired of making quilts because each turns out so differently and carry so many memories. The next one though, will not take quite so long to finish....I hope!

It's fantastic, Abi. What a great feeling to finish a project like that! I have my friendship quilt calling my name but it is so hard to work on a quilt in the heat of our Arizona summer. I WILL get to it though... Thanks for the inspiration! xo

It's so gorgeous! Bright and fresh and pretty all at the same time. I'm catching up after finishing our unpacking and you are making me want to pull out some bits and pieces and start sewing now because it's easy to see from your pictures how nice it would feel under my fingers

I love it and it makes me happy to think my handsewn quilting is still on the go over 30 years later!!!!! I think quilt making is about love, have you ever seen the film "How to make an American quilt"? It shows exactly what quilting is about and how it takes time and love to make it.Congrats it look gorgeous and the model is superb. Prada next?Love Jo xxx